Cryptocurrency mining firm Miner One has launched a rig into space to harvest new coins from the depths of the stratosphere, Inverse reports.
The firm used a hydrogen balloon to lift the rig up toward the stars. The carbon fiber capsule contained an application-specific integrated circuit, a Raspberry Pi 3,a battery, a satellite phone, a GoPro Hero 5, and a souvenir metal “Bitcoin” for a competition winner.
Once it reached over 100,000 feet from the ground, the circuit was activated and linked via phone to the ground. As it moved through the stratosphere, falling air pressure caused the balloon to expand from 2.2 meters to 10 meters in diameter. The balloon was then destroyed and a parachute was deployed, with three independent telemetry systems transmitting data so the crew could retrieve the craft.
Pranas Slusnys, the CEO of Miner One, said that they “are bullish on Bitcoin (Bitcoin) because it remains the world’s most popular and proven application of blockchain technology,and they see growing interest and adoption, despite recent market doldrums.”
Miner One is building a mining center based on crowdfunding venture. The team plans to start mining within three to five months of reaching the soft cap of 3,000 Ethereum (ETH/USD) coins, and the current round is set to end on May 5.
By Ksenia Batanova